Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese

A comforting twist on the classic mac and cheese. You cheddar believe it’s good! Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 500g macaroni pasta (pasta la vista, baby!)
• 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets (cauli it what you want)
• 500g mature cheddar cheese, grated (looking sharp!)
• 50g parmesan cheese (parm for the course)
• 50g butter (butter late than never!)
• 50g plain flour
• 750ml milk
• 1 tsp mustard powder (cutting the mustard)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 100g breadcrumbs (for that extra crunch factor)
• Fresh parsley to garnish (parsley we can make this work!)

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan (getting hot in here!). Cook the macaroni according to package instructions, but add the cauliflower florets for the last 5 minutes - they make a great pasta-bility!

2. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan (butter not cry over melted butter). Add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes to make a roux - don’t worry, it’s not rocket science!

3. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps (we’re whisking it for the biscuit). Keep stirring until the sauce thickens - patience is a virtue!

4. Remove from heat and stir in most of the cheddar and all the parmesan (cheese the moment). Add mustard powder, salt, and pepper to taste. This is where things get gouda!

5. Drain the pasta and cauliflower, then mix with the cheese sauce. Pour into a large baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar and breadcrumbs (the final countdown!).

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling (looking grate!). Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and enjoy - that’s all folks, no more cheesy jokes!